I do not own Bleach or any of the characters.
Favor
Kurai walked along through the air, keeping his presence hidden and keeping high enough that it would be hard for his target to see him from the street below. He had been tracking them all day. Not for any real reason, just that he was curious. Technically he wasn't even supposed to be there, but he had gotten permission from one of the captains and had been sent with an "Escort", in reality just a Soul Reaper who was enjoying the bar in his Gigai while Kurai wet about his business.
His "business" was to keep track of a certain human who he had met a few weeks earlier. Now the Academy was enjoying a break. Since Kurai had no home and no one to go back to, he had decided to spend it guarding someone he knew would be a target. Angel. Her school was still in session so for a good portion of the day he had simply sat on the roof of the school. So far there had been no hollows and Kurai was starting to think that Angel wasn't as tempting a target as he had believed. He looked back at Angel as she stepped into a shop. He descended to about three hundred feet where he could read the massive lettering on the front of the store.
"MALL"
He sighed and dropped to the ground, walking into the store. He knew from an earlier trip to the store that there was a store that sold katanas. And black and white robes. He smirked as he stepped into the store and the owner winked at him. The Soul Reaper was a friend of Kurai's after the last stop, mostly because of the amount of money he had gotten from Kurai without needing to haggle. As Kurai walked over, he reached under the counter and then tossed a ring to Kurai. It looked like a class ring like humans sometimes got while they were in school. This one was silver with a sapphire set in it, a samurai design on one side under "Kurai" and the other side bearing a carving of a martial artist mid-kick under the word "Bode". Kurai grinned at the pun on the name Bode and word body. He stepped into the back room and put the ring on, and instantly a tan mass shot out from between it and his finger, the color of the match changing as it reached his sleeve to black, then blue as it reached where his pants would be, and black again at his feet. It covered him for a moment before condensing into a Gigai, complete with a black hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and black running shoes. He grinned before walking out of the room, nodding to the owner of the store who caught his shoulder.
"That cost me a lot of money," the owner stated. "The maker was reluctant to give up his masterpiece. Take care of it."
Kurai nodded then walked out of the store, searching the building for Angel and finding her almost instantly, right beside him. He spun and suddenly found her arms around his neck.
"It's about time you got back," Angel smiled stepping back and smiling. "What's with your clothes?"
"It's a false body, a Gigai," Kurai stated turning and walking away from the crowded room and into the less crowded cafe a short walk from there.
They both got something to drink and sat down at a table in the corner.
"Did anyone find out you didn't wipe my memory?" Angel questioned.
"No," Kurai smiled. "I was careful. My escort for today is at the bar so he shouldn't be a problem."
"Why are you here?" Angel questioned.
"Aside from wanting to see you?" Kurai smirked. "I came to make sure there were no hollows trying to get to you again. When someone is...like you, it's not uncommon for hollows to hound them. The Soul Reaper Academy is on break for a couple of days. I'll be making sure no hollows get any bright ideas regarding my favorite human."
Angel smiled and nodded then looked around.
"Then you have to go home?" Angel asked, smile fading.
"Yes," Kurai nodded.
"I see," Angel nodded. "Are you staying the night?"
"I was planning to," Kurai nodded. "And before you ask, no I have nowhere to stay. I was planning to stay up and keep a lookout for hollows."
"No," Angel smirked shaking her head. "Even Soul Reapers would need sleep, right? You can stay with me for tonight. That way you'll be right there anyway if something happened."
Kurai sighed but nodded.
"Okay," Kurai smiled. "You win."
Angel smiled and nodded. They finished their drinks and left the mall, Angel leading him to her house. It was getting late so she got some pajamas and went into her bathroom to change. While she did, Kurai sat in a chair at her desk and inspected the room. There were no stuffed animals, no frilly coverings for anything, not even any band posters. Instead, there were advertisements for horror movies and movies about ninjas and samurais. After a few minutes, Angel came out of the bathroom wearing a matching pink shirt and pants with flower designs.
"I guess I fit everything about your room except your PJs then huh?" Kurai smirked.
She grinned and sat on her bed, patting the spot beside her.
"You're kidding right?" Kurai questioned raising an eyebrow.
She fluttered her eyelashes and patted the bed again and Kurai sighed, walking over and pulling the ring off, the Gigai turning into the same substance as before and disappearing somewhere in the ring before he set it beside the bed and pulled his sandals off, sitting beside Angel.
"There," Angel smirked. "Now was that really so hard?"
"No," Kurai sighed. "I'll sleep on top of the blankets so it's less obvious that I'm here in case your parents check on you."
"I...don't have any," Angel stated, voice quiet.
"Wait, what?" Kurai blinked.
"My parents were murdered almost five years ago," Angel muttered.
"I'm sorry," Kurai winced hugging her. "I didn't know."
"It's alright," Angel sighed leaning on his shoulder. "Now lay down. I can't sleep sitting up."
Kurai grinned and slid down the bed, laying down as she rested her head on his chest. She drifted off quickly and he tried to stay awake but after a few minutes, he drifted off as well.
"Now, why do you suppose he's there?" a certain brown haired Soul Reaper captain questioned.
"Hm, I don't know," another captain, this one with a face painted white and black, answered.
"Perhaps there's something different about this human," the first suggested. "Perhaps this one has something our young student is interested in."
"True," the second nodded. "Perhaps she'd make a good test subject. Though, I doubt that academy student will be pleased."
"He's a student," the first snorted. "It's not like he'd be a threat."
"Fair enough," the second agreed.
Just then, a hollow appeared just down the street from the house. The second captain turned to kill it but the first caught his shoulder.
"Let's see what happens," the first suggested.
After a moment, Kurai and Angel rushed out into the street, Kurai to kill the hollow and Angel in case the hollow made the house collapse.
"Stay back," Kurai growled, watching the massive hollow that resembled a ball of raw dough that someone had flattened someone then stretched out a pair of disproportionally long pointed arms and short stubby elephant legs for and a pair of round red sprinkles for eyes somewhere around the top of the body.
The hollow seemed to be a melted mask with arms and legs extending from it and a pair of beady red eyes from a pair of slit openings near the top. Kurai drew his zanpakuto and sprinted forward, leaping at the hollow and slashing, only to be smashed aside. He crashed through a building then stood and charged again. The hollow spun, smashing him straight downward into the ground then turned away again, continuing to stomp toward Angel.
"Fuck you," Kurai growled standing and extending a hand. "Hado Thirty One, Shakkaho!"
The red sphere launched out of his hand at the hollow but before it could hit, the hollow crouched, dropping a good ten feet and allowing the spell to fly over its head. Then, it stood again and turned back, a mouth stretching open. Then, a wall of blue flames shot out of its mouth and blasted Kurai.
"Kurai!" Angel screamed.
Several people opened their windows to see what the explosion was just in time to see craters start appearing in the street, heading toward the frantic crying girl.
"Shit," Kurai growled standing and holding out one hand. "that was Kido. Hado Four, Byakurai!"
The bolt of lightning flashed through the air, blasting the hollow in the back and making it stop, but not hurting it. It turned around again, its eyes glowing in rage as it opened its mouth. This time, a bolt of yellow lightning flashed out, blasting Kurai full in the chest and launching him away, his robes smoking and making him grateful he had thought to leave his academy uniform in the Soul Society.
The hollow again turned away as Kurai struggled to stand, picking up his zanpakuto and glaring at the hollow, now less than a hundred feet from Angel.
"Where the hell do you think you're going!?" Kurai shouted up at it. "I'm still alive!"
The hollow ignored him this time, continuing toward Angel. Kurai staggered under it until a voice appeared in his mind.
"You have won my favor," the voice stated. "My name is Haruko. Hold me with my blade toward the ground and release me. As you do, repeat this. Grow, Haruko."
Kurai stared at his zanpakuto for a moment before grinning and holding it up.
"Grow, Haruko," he spoke releasing the sword.
It passed into the ground and a field of flowers and grass spread below him. He stared at it, looking confused and slightly embarrassed.
"Don't give me that look," Haruko spoke in his head. "My name means spring for a reason. Besides, didn't you pay attention to the engraving on your own sword's buttcap?"
Kurai sighed and looked back at the hollow, noticing it had turned around and was staring at the field, which it was standing in. Just as Kurai noticed this, a single blade of grass grew rapidly, driving itself up through the hollow before swinging backward and bisecting it. It faded and Kurai stared in amazement as the blade shrunk back down. Then the field shrunk to a small circle of light as the zanpakuto grew out of it, Kurai catching it and putting it away before running over to Angel.
"You okay?" Kurai questioned.
"I should be asking you that," Angel stated. "Look at you!"
"I'll heal," Kurai smiled. "As long as you're safe I'll be fine."
Angel smiled and kissed him then looked up at her house.
"Come on," She smiled. "Let's go back to bed. I'm tired."
Kurai snorted and they went back into the house. The captains above them both thinking silently.
"He didn't even notice us," the first stated. "Granted he was busy with a hollow but still."
"She will be a very entertaining subject indeed," the second nodded to himself. "I think I'll collect her after he leaves."
The first nodded and they settled to wait for the night. The next day, Kurai woke up and found that Angel had already woken and changed into actual clothes for school.
"Hey," Angel smiled. "I was hoping you'd wake up before I left. I'd stay but I have school."
"I know," Kurai smiled. "I got here about five in the morning yesterday."
She grinned and he stood, picking up the ring and tossing it to her.
"You're not taking it?" Angel questioned.
"If I wear it, I'll be constantly wearing a Gigai and unable to use my zanpakuto," Kurai stated. "You keep it for the next time I get to see you."
"How do you propose I wear it?" Angel smirked.
He tossed her a thin silver chain, that he had bought along with the ring, that would hide her Spiritual Pressure from hollows. SHe caught it and smiled, slipping the ring onto it and clasping it around her neck.
"What do I tell anyone that asks about it?" Angel questioned.
"A promise from your boyfriend that he'll be back," Kurai smiled. "Just tell them that I'm away a lot and gave you that so I'd have a reason to come back to you, to get my ring back."
Angel smiled and nodded then kissed him and left for school. He stood and left the house, locking the door behind himself then left, heading into the air and soon finding his escort waiting. His escort looked behind him at the damaged street the hollow had left and Kurai winced.
"Hollow," Kurai stated.
"And your human friend?" the Soul Reaper questioned.
"Please don't tell," Kurai pleaded.
"I don't need to," the Soul Reaper shrugged. "It's not my business."
Kurai smiled and nodded and the two of them went back to the Soul Society. Elsewhere, the two Soul Reaper captains, landed on either side of Angel, the second, who was behind her, pulling out a syringe and stepping forward, injecting it into her neck. He caught her and the other captain gently removed the chain and ring from her throat, putting them in the inside pocket of his robes then nodded to the other captain who threw the now unconscious girl over his shoulder as his travel companion opened the gate back to the Soul Society.
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